US claims respos for attack on neutral civilian ship

US claims respos for attack on neutral civilian ship The US has claimed an attack on a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that attempted to travel through the Gulf of Oman in violation of the unilateral US blockade of Iranian ports.  "A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two hellfire missiles into the Vela Nova’s engine room after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces," said a statement posted by the US Central Command on X.  "The ship is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade, which remains in full effect," the statement added.  The US said that attack, first reported earlier today by the Wall Street Journal, was one of 60 instances where the US has blocked ships attempting to transit through the blockade. No casualties were reported.  Earlier today, CENTCOM forces disabled the steering gear of Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova as the cargo vessel attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman and violate the U.S. blockade against Iran by sailing toward an Iranian port. pic.twitter.com/hqY1g2Ng8q August 11, 2026